Tasty Tuesday--Supper Club

Get ready for recipe overload. We had the supper club--again, too fancy a term for us--crew over this weekend, so instead of posting one recipe a week, I figured I'd make a Tasty Tuesday Supper Club Edition. Everything was so good and so easy. It's the perfect menu for entertaining because just about everything is make-ahead.

Menu

White Sangria
Avocado Crab Dip

Babyback Ribs

Potato Salad

Spinach-Strawberry Salad with Sesame-Poppy Seed Dressing

Eclair Cake

White Sangria

Recipe from Southern Living

1/4 cup sugar
2 bottles dry white wine
3/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
1 cup orange liqueur
2-3 cups lemon-lime soda, chilled
2 lemons, thinly sliced
2 limes, thinly sliced
2 oranges, thinly sliced
1 pint strawberries, thinly sliced

1. Bring sugar and 1 1/4 cup water to a boil in a saucepan over med-high heat, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Combine sugar mixture, wine, and next 2 ingredients in a large container. Cover and chill 4 hours.
3. Stir in soda and fruit just before serving.

Avocado Crab Dip
recipe from The Pioneer Woman

2 avocados
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp chopped onion
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 8oz. package cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp salt
2 cans crab meat, drained

In a food processor, combine avocado, lemon juice, onion, and Worcestershire. Pulse until combined. Leave some texture to the avocados.
Add cream cheese, sour cream, and salt. Pulse a couple times. Stir in crab meat.


Babyback Ribs
This recipe came from my wonderful mother-in-law.
3 racks was plenty for 8 people. Everyone had 4-5 ribs.
You can store the remaining dry rub in an airtight container.

Rubbed down and ready for the oven.
Had a little too much fun and forgot to take a picture of the finished product.

Dry Rub
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup salt
2 Tbsp pepper
1 Tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp chili powder
2 dashes cayenne
2 dashes paprika

Preheat oven to 280.
Line baking sheets with non-stick foil. Cut the racks so that they fit on the sheets. Place the ribs on the sheets, and rub both sides with a generous amount of the dry rub. Cover very tightly with foil.
Cook, undisturbed, for 4 hours. Uncover and slather on your favorite bbq sauce (I used Bull's Eye--Hickory Smoke). Put them back in the oven, uncovered, for about 10 minutes--just long enough for the sauce to heat up and adhere.

*When I made them this time, I took them out about 25 minutes early, and let the sit with the foil still tightly covering for the remaining time, and then put the sauce on. They were fall-off the bone tender...we literally ate them with a fork!

Spinach & Strawberry Salad 
with Sesame-Poppy Seed Dressing

Excuse the blurriness. This may or may not have been taken post a few servings of sangria.

Dressing
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 Tbsp minced onion
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
2 Tbsp poppy seeds

Pulse first 5 ingredients in food processor 2-3 times or until smooth. With processor running, add oil in a slow, steady stream. Process until smooth. Stir in seeds. Chill 24 hours.
Serve tossed with spinach, sliced strawberries, and toasted almonds.


Old Fashioned Potato Salad
This is an Ina Garten recipe, however, I changed the preparation a little. Not really on purpose, but the outcome was just as good. She just prepares the potatoes a little differently. If you want her way, you can find it here.

3 lbs. small red potatoes
salt
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk, milk, or white wine (I used milk)
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp whole-grain mustard
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup medium-diced celery
1/2 small-diced red onion (optional)

1. Cut the potatoes into quarters, and boil in water, with 2 Tbsp salt, until fork tender. Drain and set aside to cool.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, milk, mustards, dill, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Set aside.
3. Place the potatoes in a large bowl and pour the dressing over. Add the celery and onion, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Toss gently, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend.




Eclair Cake
Recipe from Paula Deen

Cake
1 box graham crackers
2 (3 1/4 oz.) boxes instant french vanilla pudding.
3 1/2 cup milk
1 (8 oz.) container cool whip, thawed
Frosting
1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
3 Tbsp butter, softened
1/3 cup milk
2 tsp light corn syrup (gasp! it's ok...it's only 2 tsp!)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Butter the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2 in. pan. Line the bottom with whole graham crackers. With electric mixer, mix pudding with milk. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold in cool whip. Pour 1/2 pudding mixture over graham crackers. Place another layer of graham crackers over pudding. Pour remaining pudding, and cover with another layer of graham crackers.

For frosting, blend together sugar & cocoa. Add butter and milk, mixing well. Add corn syrup and vanilla. Stir until creamy. Cover cake with frosting, and refrigerate over night.




Everyone had fun....even Birdie.